Word of the Day

: February 17, 2009

hackle

noun HACK-ul

What It Means

1 : one of the long feathers on the neck or back of a bird

2 : hairs (as on a dog's neck) that can be erected

3 : temper, dander

hackle in Context

The Senator's aggressive stance toward illegal immigration has raised some hackles.

Did You Know?

In its earliest uses in the 15th century, "hackle" denoted either a bird's neck plumage or an instrument used to comb out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. Apparently, some folks saw a resemblance between the neck feathers of domestic birds -- which, on a male, become erect when the bird is defensive -- and the prongs of the comb-like tool. In the 19th century, English speakers extended the word's use to both dogs and people. Like the bird's feathers, the erectile hairs on the back of a dog's neck stand up when the animal is agitated. With humans, use of the word "hackles" is usually figurative. When you raise someone's hackles, you make them angry or put them on the defensive.